Project Is Top Issue in Council Race

In a city that has wrangled over development issues since its incorporation 10 years ago, the battles continue with 11 candidates running Tuesday for three seats on the City Council.

The biggest development issue remains the Headlands, the rocky promontory that gave the city its name.

In August, the developers sued the city after a months-long tug of war over creation of a new development plan for the land. Several weeks ago, a judge ruled in favor of the developers and ordered the city to consider their plan.

The developers’ plan calls for a maximum of 267 houses, 60 acres of open space and a resort hotel on the bluff.

The city’s plan has a maximum of 185 houses, 70 acres of open space and a resort hotel near Strands Beach.

Most of the candidates--Eric James, Raquel Olamendi, Robert Moore, Robert F. Nichols, Michael Winterhalter, Joel Bishop, Walter Neibauer, Wayne Rayfield and incumbent Harold Kaufman--favor compromising with the developer as quickly as possible.

Ingrid McGuire supports the city’s plan and would work to get the judge’s ruling overturned.

Geoff Lachner prefers an educational center over a hotel, and favors giving the city a chance to buy the land.

The Headlands dispute has gone on for decades, including two referendums in 1994 that rescinded the City Council’s approval of a hotel and commercial center.

A second development issue involves improvement proposals for the county-owned Dana Point Harbor. Candidates Winterhalter, Rayfield and McGuire have said that while the harbor needs more parking and improvements, the county’s renovation plan may go too far.

Another issue is whether an airport at El Toro would bring unwanted noise and air traffic over the city. Winterhalter, Kaufman, Nichols, Rayfield, Bishop, McGuire and Moore are all running on an anti-airport platform.

Olamendi is campaigning on a more unusual issue: She said she was motivated to run primarily because of the council’s reputation for being rancorous.

In 1996, Kaufman and Councilwoman Karen Lloreda were the targets of an unsuccessful recall effort over development issues, which was supported by Councilwoman Toni Gallagher.

“Yes, we have had a contentious council for the past six years,” Mayor Bill Ossenmacher said at a recent meeting.

Ossenmacher and Councilwoman Ruby L. Netzley will remain on the council. Council members Lloreda and Gallagher are vacating their seats. Councilman Kaufman is seeking reelection.

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Dana Point City Council

There are 11 candidates seeking three seats Tuesday on the Dana Point City Council:

Joel Bishop

Age: 41

Occupation: Director of information technology

Background: Bachelor’s degree in psychology, Cal State Long Beach; one year postgraduate study in psychology, Brigham Young University; director, South Coast Water District (elected 1996); active in Surfrider Foundation and with beach cleanups; 2 1/2-year resident

Issues: Seek sensible development on Headlands; no hotel on Strand Beach; will work with developer and civic groups to come up with a compromise; seven-foot storm drain unacceptable; will push to enforce clean water laws to improve ocean water, make sure water district is addressing problems; would push for redirecting storm-drain water to treatment plant; against an airport at El Toro, would work through the League of Cities to oppose

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Eric James

Age: 55

Occupation: Planning commissioner

Background: Four years of college studying English literature and theater arts at Loyola University (Chicago) and the Art Institute of Chicago; five-year member, Dana Point Cultural Commission; vice chairman, Planning Commission; chairman, city Underground Utilities Committee; past vice chairman, Community Services Commission; co-sponsor with Lawnchair and Picnic Society of free public concerts in Heritage Park every year; seven-year resident

Issues: Believes council should be more responsible and responsive to all residents and neighborhoods; supports creating plan to revitalize, expand and build new parks; would seek cooperation with Headlands developer and quickly design mutually satisfying plan

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Harold Kaufman

Age: 56

Occupation: Incumbent/settlement broker

Background: Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, Pennsylvania State University; master’s in business administration, University of Denver; board member, South Coast Medical Center and Anti-Defamation League; member, Capistrano Valley

Symphony Advisory Board; American Youth Soccer Organization referee; 14-year resident

Issues: Opposes airport at El Toro; supports making compromise plan between city and developer on Headlands future; create volunteer commission to make local government more accessible to residents

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Geoff Lachner

Age: 54

Occupation: Attorney

Background: Bachelor’s degree in economics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia; law degree, University of San Diego; chairman, Committee to Save the Headlands, 1994-96; former member, consumer advocacy group, California Public Interest Research Group; served two years in U.S. Army in Europe; former prosecutor; 17-year resident

Issues: Opposes hotel on Headlands, would prefer an educational center and giving city chance to buy the land; wants city to handle money more wisely; get more residents involved in local government by allowing maximum notice on issues and putting major issues on ballot

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Ingrid McGuire

Age: 66

Occupation: Member, South Coast Water District Board of Directors

Background: Bachelor’s degree in chemistry, Ohio State University; elected in 1989 to first Dana Point City Council, served one term; served two terms on South Coast Water District Board of Directors (elected in 1985 and 1992); past president, Monarch Beach Terrace Property Owners Assn. and Dana Point Women’s Club; volunteer, South Coast Medical Center and Friends of Dana Niguel Library; 20-year resident

Issues: Supports city’s Headlands Specific Plan, would appeal the judge’s recent ruling against the plan; would work with citizen groups opposing developer’s plan including Save the Headlands and Hometown Dana Point; opposes airport at El Toro, would work with El Toro Reuse Planning Authority; against over-expansion of Dana Point Harbor, needs to have more parking but be kept in character with surroundings

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Robert Moore

Age: Declined to state

Occupation: Businessman

Background: Studied criminology, sociology and business at Cal State Los Angeles, the U.S. Armed Forces Institute and UCLA Extension; volunteer, Orange County probation office; chaplain, Veterans of Foreign Wars Dana Point Chapter; vice commander, American Legion; member, South Coast Water District Board of Directors (elected 1994); represented SCWD at Aliso Water Management Agency; active in South Shores Church; founded anti-airport group Taxpayers Alliance for Future Years in 1994; 22-year resident

Issues: Continue fight against airport at El Toro; would make a councilperson the representative to El Toro Reuse Planning Authority; would work to ensure reasonable development of Headlands; believes in property owner’s rights and keeping as much open space as possible

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Walter Neibauer

Age: 48

Occupation: Planning commissioner/businessman

Background: Bachelor’s degree in business, Montana State University; member, Planning Commission for two years; member and past president, Waterford Point Homeowners Assn.; participated in nomination and election of Mayor Bill Ossenmacher and Councilwoman Ruby L. Netzley; six-year resident

Issues: Reducing water drainage pollution on public beaches by supporting merger of water districts; balancing progress and increasing hotel occupancy by establishing committee to concentrate on small-business development; against hotel anywhere on Headlands, would work with the developer and maintain as much open space as possible

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Robert F. Nichols

Age: 71

Occupation: Planning commissioner/attorney

Background: Law degree, Loyola Law School; has served six years on city’s Planning Commission; former chairman, Headlands public hearings; has served on various civic, religious and school boards; 10-year resident

Issues: Would work with Headlands owners and residents to develop mutually acceptable plan within parameters set by city; would encourage small harbor renovation and fight El

Toro airport, but not at expense of taxpayers; pledges to listen carefully to every community and association within the city

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Raquel Olamendi

Age: 24

Occupation: Entrepreneur

Background: Dana Hills High School; has been running Olamendi’s Mexican Restaurant in Capistrano Beach for the past five years, family has owned restaurant for 25 years; lifetime resident

Issues: Will work for a compromise on the Headlands and unity and civility among council members; for promoting better quality of life in Dana Point

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Wayne Rayfield

Age: 64

Occupation: Retired engineer

Background: Bachelor’s degree in engineering geophysics, Lehigh University; founder of No Jets, coalition of homeowner associations against an El Toro airport; founder and chairman, anti-airport El Toro Coalition; president, Monarch Bay Homeowners Assn.; has owned property in city since 1966; four-year resident

Issues: Opposes hotel on Strand Beach; would preserve as much open space as possible on Headlands and would seek expert advise on storm-drain issue; make city more proactive in face of county plans to renovate Dana Point Harbor; work to make city more active in support of non-aviation Millennium Plan for El Toro

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Michael Winterhalter

Age: 37

Occupation: Senior manager, Ashland Chemical

Background: Bachelor’s degree in political science, UC Santa Barbara; served as staffer to former Republican Rep. Pete McCloskey; board member, Dana Point Tennis Villas at Monarch Beach and Marquesa homeowners associations; representative, Monarch Beach Civic Assn.; 26-year resident

Issues: Protect property rights of Headlands, Monarch Beach and Capistrano by the Sea developers, while making sure they build attractive, environmentally sensitive and economically feasible projects: opposes a hotel on Strands Beach; supports reinvesting in Dana Point Harbor but doesn’t want superficial fix; supports non-aviation Millennium Plan instead of commercial airport at El Toro

Source: Individual candidates

Researched by LINN GROVES / For The Times